i'll see you in another life
by Empress of Everything
Summary: He had seen her in a thousand different lifetimes. It always ended in tears and blood and death. Maybe they could break the cycle this time around… {RoLu, part 4 of the Now That It's Over series}
1. Chapter 1

She didn't turn when she heard the door open. He stood in the doorway, watching her. Lucy was facing away from him, her eyes trained on the meager image she could see outside. A pale hand curled convulsively around the bars on the window. Despite her obvious disquiet, her voice remained steady. "I'm to be executed tomorrow, aren't I?" She asked the question lightly, as if asking if it was going to rain.

"Yes."

A light tremor spread through her whole body. His heart ached for the deposed heir of Fiore. She had no hope left. The last of her supporters had been driven out of the country by his father. Her loyal Knights, all fallen on the field of battle or in exile. No help was coming for Princess, now Queen, Lucy.

Six months ago, no one would have guessed the Heartfilia dynasty would fall. The line lay secure in Princess Lucy and the marriage being arranged for her. It seemed they were invincible. Her father's death at the hands of his trusted advisor was a twist of events no one could have predicted.

Now Queen in name only, her life was in the hands of Acnologia, who was proving himself to be a cruel tyrant. The people had reluctantly begun to accept Acnologia as their King, but the murmurs about the fate of the Celestial Queen were causing his father worry. As long as she was alive, he could be overthrown. _Loose ends need to be clipped_ , Acnologia had said rather cryptically to his second in command.

Now he knew what his father meant.

"I thought as much." Her quiet whisper took him off guard. She had guessed she would be executed? Of course she had. She knew the intricacies of politics. She was a liability and a threat to the current King. Exile or death were the only options given to her.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do," He insisted, incredulously. His finger stabbed toward his chest, like a dagger to the heart. "It's because of my father that you are in this position. I am to blame, at least a little bit, for your fate."

Lucy shook her head. "No, you are _not_ to blame," she corrected gently. He tried to protest, but she shushed him almost instantly. A tiny smile brushed over her lips. "As long as you are alive, there is hope. Hope for my kingdom." He stared at the sad-eyed, yet still smiling Queen. What was she saying? Was she trying to comfort him?

How ironic; he had come to her to see if there was any way he could help her, short of releasing her, and now _she_ was consoling _him_. She, who was to die with the dawn, worried more for him than he for her.

In that moment, he fell in love with her.

* * *

His hands were shaking uncontrollably as he stood next to his father. He clenched them in an effort to stop the body-wracking tremors threatening to erupt. Acnologia had insisted his son and heir was to attend the Princess's execution.

If he could stop her death, even at the expense of his own life, he would.

Drums ruffled.

Across the way, even as she moved to place her head on the block, Lucy's eyes raised and met his with magnetic force. There was no regret, no hatred in her eyes. One last smile was gifted to him.

The axe fell. Blood misted the early morning air.

The queen was dead.

Long live the king.

* * *

Rogue jolted awake, gasping and clutching at his heart. Drums still thundered in his ears, slowly quieting, only to be replaced by the thundering of his heart.

It was a dream. It had only been a dream. He hadn't just watched the execution of a Princess he cared for. He trembled and let out a shaky laugh as he ran both hands through his messy hair.

A glance at Frosch assured him his Exceed partner was still fast asleep. Rogue silently rolled out of bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor. It was a welcome sensation, pulling him back to reality. He staggered his way to the bathroom. Judging by the silence of the house, he hadn't woken Sting with his dreams.

Rogue splashed water on his face, dried it off, and slumped against the cool sink. This was the fifth time this month he'd had a dream about Fairy Tail's Celestial Mage that ended in her death. If that wasn't ominous, he didn't know what was.

Why though? What could they possibly mean, these horrific dreams of his? He sighed. Well, there was no way of knowing. He could only face them head on and hope they would go away.


	2. Chapter 2

She stood panting in front of him, her twin swords held up in a block. The strain of the fight showed in her trembling muscles and sweaty face, in her tangled bloodstained hair and decimated skin. All his superhumanly fast slashes she had been unable to block had carved their way onto her skin and dripped blood. Her arms and torso, even her beautiful face, had been subjected to his sword. Her costly leather armor was shredded beyond repair. A pity that. It had been a gift from her King. He could've pried it off her dead body and sold it, no doubt for a high price.

He had to commend her for holding out against him for so long. Holding out against him for nearly an hour was an unheard of feat, though if anyone was to do it, it would be her. She might have been the second best swordsman in the country but he…

He was the best.

And now he was determined to kill her.

"I loved you, you know," she gasped out. In her hands, her swords trembled like grain in the wind. Typical female redirection, hoping that he would hesitate, that he would show her mercy though he'd never done so before. She _knew_ that; they'd fought together long enough that she should know about his no holds barred, viciously merciless style of fighting.

His face was suddenly very close to hers as he closed the gap between them with a few steps. He could see every star kiss and scar on her face, see the facets of her eyes and the way they swirled with brown galaxies, the hot blood that nearly blinded her.

"I do know. Which is why it's easier to do this." His lips curled up in a twisted mockery of the loving smiles he had pretended to bestow on her in the past they had spent together. He looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, mimicking a fond embrace. Fool that she was, she actually lowered her swords and let him. As if she honestly believed his attempts to murder her was just an act.

The foolish girl.

Time to pay for her mistake.

His sword slid up and pierced her heart with frightening ease.

The katana emerged from her back as her blood spattered the floor and the wall behind her. A few hot drops sprayed his face as she coughed from shock. At this close range, he could see and savor the shock, the betrayal, the horror in her deep eyes. He pulled the sword out of her body as she fell to the ground. He stood over his downed former lover, a malicious smile crossing his face.

His King would pay a high price for the body of the last Celestial, enough to keep him going for another few years of only taking a couple of bounties. Was he sorry he killed her?

Never.

Eyes fluttering to a close, the last word to fall from her bloodied lips was a name.

"Rogue..."

* * *

With a jerk, Rogue caught himself before he fell off the train bench. Nausea hit him like the train he was riding, from both the movement and the horror of his nightmare. He dropped his head down between his knees, trying to slow his racing pulse.

Not these nightmares again. He'd gone two weeks without dreaming of Lucy Heartfilia dying. Rogue had hoped the trend would keep, but it didn't seem like it. The nightmares were back and back with a vengeance. A near audible sigh escaped his lips as he scrubbed his hands through his hair.

There was no way he was going back to sleep for a very, very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** _Finals week is coming up, I have so much to do, so many stories that should be updated but this is the only story that had something already written, lol. Not much in way of plot, but I still need time to work on that..._

* * *

Her hands shook as she hurried toward him. The agony of their separation had been too much for her. She needed him. Needed him to tell her, reassure her, that the blunt statements his friend had made were lies.

Throwing caution to the winds, she had slipped away from Erza and Laxus, her bodyguards, instead choosing to flee to her beloved, yet secret, husband. Though with the way things were going, her secret would come out sooner rather than later.

The roundness of her belly assured that.

He met her halfway, strong arms encircling her. Here, she felt safe and at peace. No matter how much the world was crashing down around her ears, her husband's arms promised stability. For a few moments, she could ignore the warnings. For just a little while, she could pretend that Sting hadn't told her of her husband's fall. Even if it was true, she pressed her ear to his heart, letting its steady beat assure her she was safe in his arms.

Even if that safety was a lie.

"What are you doing out here? It's not safe for you or the baby." His warm voice rumbled in her ear, breaking through her desperate walls. A hand rubbed up and down her back in a soothing pattern.

"I had to see you." The words tumbled from her mouth in a rush. "I was worried about you." Oh, how it soothed her to finally let the words out. They had been festering in her mind for hours, making her second-guess her motivations. All the thoughts whirled around in her head, nothing settling, nothing sticking. Sting's words played on repeat in her brain. His anguished expression showed her how much he hating having to make such cutting accusations. _He killed all those people; men, women, and children, Lucy, and he showed no regret. Can't you see he needs to be stopped?_ Fear choked her. Her husband would _never_ do such a thing. "Sting…said _terrible_ things about you."

His body went taut even as he continued to stroke her hair.

Her ears weren't sensitive enough to catch the grinding of his teeth. Sting? Sting had _dared_ to show his face near Rogue's wife after their parting and dissolution of their partnership? He fought to keep his voice steady. "What did he tell you?"

"He…he said…" She gulped. "He said that you killed families, even the children!" Her eyes darted up to meet his red ones. They were begging him to tell her the truth, that he wasn't a murderous monster. He brushed the pad of his thumb over her left cheek. A warm, salty drop rested on his finger.

"Sting is trying to turn you against me, Lucy." His voice came out silky and not at all reassuring. She pulled back a half step, the first hints of true alarm beginning to build in the back of her mind.

 _He should have denied it flat out. Why didn't he? What is he hiding from me?_

"No, Rogue, he cares about us."

The implications of her statement made all his muscles freeze. _Us?_ He repeated in his mind, eyes searching her face for the truth. Lucy was so open. All of her emotions and thoughts played out on her face. She was frightened, questioning, hopeful, but at the same time despairing. She _knew_ something was wrong.

"'Us?'"

She nodded, her hands curling up on his cloaked arms, clenching and unclenching nervously. "He knows," she whispered. "He knows about us and the baby." One hand left his arm to press against her belly. His eyes dropped to the swell that showed the world that she was his and his alone. It made sense Sting would have figured out about their child. For all his pretending to be dim, the other dragon wasn't completely stupid. He was about to say something reassuring to his wife when her next words chilled him to the bone. "He wants to help you, to help us."

Her body began to shake, her terror becoming palpable. Why was she so afraid? A black shadow whispered a thought in his ear. **Is she afraid you will find out something about her you don't wish to know?** He tried to banish the thought, but the way Lucy continued to tremble make him think twice.

"All I want is your love. No power anyone possesses will change that."

He shook his head slowly. "Love can't stop death, Lucy. Only my new powers will."

"But at what cost, Rogue?" Lucy burst out, fear dripping from every word. "You're a good person, I know it! Don't do this, _please_ , Rogue. What ever powers you could obtain isn't worth this!"

Her heart dropped as he shook his head again. "I won't lose you like I lost Skiadrum. I'm becoming the most powerful man alive." He paused and the harsh light in his ruby eyes softened just a hint. "And I'm doing it for _you_."

A strangled gasp fell from her beautiful lips. Too caught up in his delusions to notice her flinches and pulling away, he began ranting about becoming the most powerful person in existence all to keep her safe. She backed away from him as one would from a dangerous animal. The rose tinted goggles of love faded from her eyes as she saw what Sting had tried to warn her of; her husband had descended into madness.

Her shaking voice broke through his self-absorbed tirade. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Sting was right. You've _changed_ , Rogue."

At the mention of that hated name, Rogue let out a vicious snarl. "I don't want to hear any more about Sting," he growled, the name falling contemptuously off his lips. He stabbed a finger in her direction. "I've already been betrayed by everyone I know, don't you dare turn against me, too, Lucy," he warned, anger building in his chest as she continued to back away from him. She shouldn't be pulling away. She should be leaping into his arms with joy that he was able to protect her now. Every crime he committed, every drop of he blood shed, every life he snuffed out, it was all for her.

It was _always_ for her.

The salty smell of her tears filled the air. "I don't know you anymore," Lucy rasped out. Tears dripped in an unending stream down her face. Her trembling hands reached up blindly to wipe them away only for more to replace them. "Rogue, you're breaking my heart." She pressed a hand to her heart, feeling as if literal cracks were running down its length, fracturing every bit they touched. The man before her wasn't her husband, her lover, the father of her child.

He had turned into a monster.

"You're going down a path I can't follow, Rogue." He wasn't looking at her, his eyes trained over her shoulder.

"Because of Sting?"

"Because of what you've done! What you plan to do!" _What was he looking at with such hatred?_ "Stop! Stop now, come back to me! It doesn't have to be this way!" She choked on the force of her grief, terror, tears. Getting so hysterical wasn't good for her or her baby. But right now, her own health and safety were the furthest things from her mind. "I love you!"

Rogue stalked away from her, away to the side. With a whirl, he pinned the blonde woman with a furious, murderous glare. She let out an involuntary scream of fear when his red eyes speared her. "LIAR!" He bellowed. Lucy spun, heart leaping to her throat as her eyes fell on Sting. "No," she whispered desperately. Had he followed her, guessing she would know _exactly_ where to find Rogue? Rogue would see it as a breach of the trust they had placed in each other when they married. Lucy began backing up even more, frantically trying to protect herself from the enraged black-cloaked man coming at her like a furious whirlwind.

"You're with him!" He screamed, shadows beginning to pulse around them. "You brought him here to kill me!"

"No! No, Rogue, I didn't! I swear!"

Even her screams had lost their power to move him. All he could focus on was his need for revenge. Rogue's black heart had never felt so on fire with all the raging power of a thousand devils as he stared at the man he had once considered closer than a brother. **He has betrayed you. Why is he here with _your_ wife? What sort of game are they playing? ** The shadow's insidious whisper found a home in his heart. Seeing Sting, and seeing Lucy's terrified reaction, only confirmed what he had guessed.

She had _betrayed_ him.

His hand slid around her throat, tightening while he snarled. She had _betrayed_ him. She had consorted with his enemy, batted those eyelashes and flirted with the man he used to call best friend. Was the child inside her even his? Or had she offered herself to another man in his long absence? Was Sting the one she had desired all along? Was the child she carried fathered by his best friend?

 _Just how deep did her betrayal go?_

He relished the terror in her eyes, the way she clawed desperately at his hand that was crushing her windpipe. Her deep brown eyes were begging him to release her before he killed her. She should have known what would happen if she was unfaithful to him. He was a dragon, possessive and controlling, jealously guarding what was his even to the death.

And _she_ belonged to _him_.

"Ro…" she couldn't force another syllable past the pressure in her throat. She needed to tell him she _hadn't_ betrayed him, that her heart had only ever belonged to him.

"Let her go, Rogue! You're going to kill her!" Sting shouted at the other man. He was frozen in place, unable to move to save her. There was a physical boundary around the couple he wasn't strong enough to break.

"If I cannot have her," Rogue's voice was dark, cold, and dripping with feral rage. He sounded more like a dragon than a real one ever could. His voice dropped, the dark madness in it evident. "Then no one can." His hand clenched tighter one more time before his grip on his wife's neck loosened and she slid to the ground. Her shoulder hit first then the side of her head.

She didn't move after that.

"You will not take her from me!" Rogue screamed at Sting. Shadows boiled around the two, dark whispers fighting to nest in cracks and crevices of darkness. The blond stared from the limp body of the girl he loved to his former friend with horror written on his face.

Rogue had just murdered his wife and unborn child in a fit of jealousy with no signs of regret. And Sting hadn't been able to stop it. Was that how weak he truly was?

Sting's voice shook, betraying his agony. "You have done that yourself."

As light and shadow clashed above her, one intent on revenge, the other on possession, Lucy's life fluttered away. Even if Sting was successful in stopping Rogue, it was too late for Lucy and her baby.

* * *

Horrid retching sounds filled the hotel room. Rogue hunched over the toilet, emptying the contents of his stomach in his now nightly routine. When he was done, he staggered upright and began to clean himself up methodically.

He shouldn't be surprised anymore by the dreams. They had been growing more vivid and heartbreaking as weeks went by. Every possible scenario played through his head while he slept. No matter how hard he tried, she always wound up dead in the end, either by his hands or another's.

Rogue stared dully at his reflection in the mirror. His cheeks had hollowed, matching the steadily darkening bags under his eyes. Not a moment when he closed his eyes could he escape Lucy's screams or her blood on his hands. These haunting dreams were tearing him apart. Was this his fate? To turn into a monster because of a woman? To attempt to kill his best friend?


End file.
